Oh Lovelies…you know when you completely take on the world thinking you’re kin to 80’s TV icon The Greatest American Hero and that everything that seemed so simple to complete and wrap up, totally went the other direction and instead of “flying away on a wing and a prayer”, you’re nose diving down to the Earth at a cartoon-like speed, preparing your ass to meet your mouth?
Well, I’ve been weighed down with anchors large enough to keep a cruise ship from moving since returning from ROCKLAHOMA 2018 back at the end of May. And I love being busy, don’t get me wrong but when it infringes upon getting interviews and reviews out – well, that’s something I don’t like. I had a tremendously badass interview with metalcore rising stars, MONUMENT OF A MEMORY’s drummer DYLAN NEWHOUSE. Not only did I learn a ton about MONUMENT OF A MEMORY and their music, I learned a couple of new words that I’ve been wanting to incorporate into my daily speech like “grinding”, and both derivatives of “bump” as in “bumped”, “bumpin’”.
Now, this band leveled up in a huge way when their single Holdfast catapulted them into the tiny screens of metalcore fans across the globe. Here’s the video for you to feast your eyes on for bit just to prime you up for the interview that has literally taken forever and a day to get out.
But even despite my shortfalls, this hasn’t stopped the band from continuing their ascent. With a tour earlier this summer down the East Coast, and back visiting parts of the Midwest,and their plans of weekend one off’s during the summer, well MONUMENT OF A MEMORY has been stuffing fans anywhere they’ll fit, kinda like a competitive eater inhales hot dogs or whatever else is on the menu to be consumed in 2 or 3 minutes for a blue ribbon for the winner. Only MONUMENT OF A MEMORY doesn’t just get gobbled up and forgotten, or worse, cast off like that last frankfurter that wouldn’t quite fit in the pie hole as the buzzer rang.
CB- So, tell me Dylan, is this latest release the band’s first big release?
DN – No, Catharsis is our third EP!
CB – Excellent, now do y’all like releasing EPs as opposed to recording a full length LP?
DN – Honestly, I would love to do a full-length record. I think that is a bands big accomplishment in recording a record with 10 or more songs. I think I would be more proud of that for some reason. There’s more content for fans to explore and see, my feeling sometimes is more is better other times not so much. We’ve released three EPs so far and a full-length record is more costly than say an EP.
CB – I get that it’s a band’s epic moment; to release the album of all albums. But you know, things are so fast now. There are new bands cutting records everyday…
DN – People just don’t give a shit anymore. I mean, everything is like instant gratification and want things immediately. They don’t wait for anything because they don’t have to. There’ll be a band right there to take their spot, you know? And really, unless they’re a diehard, aren’t going to listen to a record full of crap just to hear the two or three hits.
CB – I mean it’s all relative to the fan’s taste though. They may be, like you said, a diehard fan that will love anything no matter what. I have a few bands that I love all of their stuff, of course, some songs more than others. Like I just reviewed the new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH record and it had 16 tracks!! SIXTEEN!!
DN – God, that’s long. And really, listening to 16 tracks is a lot to ask, even for a mainstream band like FFDP.
CB – Right. It wasn’t that I disliked any songs necessarily, it just seemed like it would take forever to finish the review. When I think how the industry is changing or has changed in 2018, I wish labels would stop thinking so much in the past, I mean even the last five years things have changed and I’m not talking just with the industry’s standards. It is more than that, it’s about how the music fan listens to the music. This has dramatically changed and I’m not sure that those sitting in the big offices really were prepared for this change.
DN – It’s more about, like we’ve said, what’s instant. What a person can stream from not only their computers but their phones, tablets, and even cars now have streaming capabilities.
CB – So, even though that LP is a dream that I get bands still have and there’s nothing wrong with that. Y’all are brilliant in remaining true to the trends of listeners and how you remain in front of fans. Well done!
DN – Ya, I still want to record one, but at least we’re on the right track and thank you!
CB – Where do you see MONUMENT OF A MEMORY in two years?
DN – I can tell you this – this band is going to grind it, better and harder than we’ve ever grinded before. We first started out and I was still in high school. We made a video for Holdfast and it blew the fuck up! Since then, I mean we’ve taken thing seriously, but since that video did so well, we realized that we had to be more serious and push out on those boundaries or do anything to get yourself, our band, out there. Especially as a metalcore band. If you don’t push yourself, you’re going to just die out there. We’re trying to grind it hard; get backing from a label, have a legit management company, booking agency, a solid tour – all of the things we’re working towards that successful bands today have.
CB – So I just realized how this world is getting even smaller and faster. I have seen Holdfast before from my editors a while back and it’s been in my YouTube Cherri Picked Playlist since then. Here’s the crazy part, y’all are in New Jersey, in the US, correct?
DN – LOL Yes, as far as I know…
CB – Ha! Ok, so I’m in Dallas, Texas. And follow this digital snail trail just to get to me, the new video Cold Eyes comes out and goes from New Jersey all the way down to the bottom of the planet to Australia and then back up to the States to Dallas, Texas to my computer. And then a few weeks later boom! That’s how I found out about y’all as a music fan – and then fast-forward a couple of weeks and I get the assignment to interview you!
DN – It has to be in part from Holdfast, right? See, that’s what I’m talking about. That spawned this hype-train that we’re still…
CB – …feeding that f’er coal, right?
DN – Ha ha, yes and pushing it on through.
CB – Well, you are going to keep that momentum going, both Holdfast and Cold Eyes are sick and they’ll keep y’all rockin’! It’s been way cool talking to you Dylan! And when y’all get down to Dallas, make sure you look me up so I can come hang out with MONUMENT OF A MEMORY! I totally appreciate taking the time out of your day!
DN – Thank you and we will let you know, for sure when we’re headed that way! Thanks again and be sure to share Cold Eyes with your followers and the magazine!
CB – Oh, for sure we will! Take it easy Dylan!
What I love about MONUMENT OF A MEMORY, especially talking to DYLAN, is he gets it. I mean sure, there’s still this notion that we can all go back to the 80’s and 90’s where everything moved a little slower, where new music came from the radios that were out in our parent’s garage or we’d get to change the station to the rock channel in the Station Wagon while we sat with our little brother or sister waiting for our parents to finish that bingo game on Saturday evenings. And if we were one of the lucky ones that had cable, we got to see the really new music flash right before our eyes in mini-movies called videos, on a channel called MTV.
But since it’s not that time when music crept along bands that have the same mentality as MONUMENT OF A MEMORY that keep up or grind, as the kids say. I can’t wait to see where this band is in another six months.
Here’s the video for Cold Eyes for your viewing pleasure.
Til Next Time – MRML – Cherri
